Once Upon A Time…
by Mayushii
Summary: Relations between North and South Alaric are strained at best, and if Hiei doesn't ease the tension soon he could have a war on his hands. Is Kurama the key to appeasing Karasu? Hiei's POV, alternate universe. Shonen-ai, Hiei/Kurama and Karasu/Kurama.
1. Once Upon A Time…

Once Upon A Time…

by Mayushii

All copyright materials are property of their respective owners.

A/N: This is a complete revision of an old story. I'm too embarrassed to print its name, the original was so bad… -.-; Anyway, the basic idea of this scene is conveyed through actions, so I won't translate the dialogue. Beware of time lapse and disorientation next chapter, because this prologue won't tie in with the main story for a few chapters at least. Hope you enjoy this. Please review!

Oh yeah, and this chapter is dedicated to **Funara**. She doesn't write fanfics anymore, but if this story interests you then you might like her stories too. So go check them out!

* * *

_Once Upon A Time…_

The moon shone down on white sand, cool and radiant as the ruler of the kingdom below. Its pale glow passed through a large balcony window and entered what many would describe as a treasure hoard. There were silk tapestries hanging from the smooth walls; a rich three-panel screen that hid a collection of fine clothing; potted trees with leaves that seemed to glow and branches hung with little gold and silver and jeweled ornaments. Each treasure in this room was worth its weight in gold, yet there was one that was worth more than any other. It was hidden under a gossamer canopy and ivory-colored silk, and for its guards were four spiraling gold bedposts.

Shuichi whimpered in his sleep. He was a beautiful boy, slender and graceful, with soft red hair and a face often graced by a sweet, welcoming smile. Tonight, though, worry creased his delicate features. Sweat soaked his brow, and the flush on his face was one of pain rather than pleasure.

"_Onegai_," Shuichi whispered. He pressed his lips together, but a frantic cry soon tore them apart. "_Y-yamete!_"

He bolted upright in bed, his breaths ragged. His wide, fearful eyes darted around the room, but he found no intruders save the moonlight and shadows.

Pressing a trembling hand to his chest, the boy sat up. _Akumu… Akumu dake. _He wiped his damp brow with the back of his hand and licked his lips, swallowing. He felt as if he had swallowed sand, but he didn't know if it was because of fear or the dry air.

Shuichi pushed aside the thick, ivory silk of his blanket. Why in the world did he need such heavy covers when it was so hot, anyway? He parted the gossamer curtains and slipped out of his bed, pouring a cup of water from the pitcher on the bedside table. Closing his eyes, he drank deeply from the cup. Some of the cold water trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he kept drinking, trying to soothe his parched throat even as his body ached feverishly.

Licking the last drops from his lips, he replaced the cup on the table and walked across the room to the veranda. He went to the edge and propped his elbows up on the ledge. The air was blissfully cool out here. He closed his eyes and let the breeze splash across his flushed face.

Oh, why did he feel so _hot?_

Shuichi opened his eyes, staring off into the distance with a glazed look. The dream… Charred sand under his feet and thunderclouds over his head. Arms clothed in black wrapping around him from behind. One pale hand resting on his stomach, caressing him in the most shameful of ways, while its twin cut his throat with bloodied fingernails…

He shivered, rubbing his neck worriedly, and shook his head. It was a dream. Just a dream.

The boy took a deep, calming breath. He was about to turn from the balcony and go back to his bed when he saw something: a dark line wavering on the edge of the moonlit sand. He squinted. What in the world was that?

He watched the line for a while. As the minutes passed, a cold shiver crept into his stomach and climbed up and down his spine. He took a slow step backward. Another. Another.

From the distance, he heard the sound of a horn. Shuichi stumbled over his own feet and toppled backward, the fall breaking him of his terrified paralysis.

"_Onii-sama!_" he gasped. He staggered to his feet, tearing across his bedchambers and throwing open the door. He ran down the hall toward his brother's suite. "_Onii-sama, okite kudasai!_"

He pounded on the door with his fist. There was some noise from the room beyond, and then the door was opened by Youko's mate. Kuronue was holding his rich purple robe closed with one hand, and with the other he combed back his long, smooth black hair.

"_Shuichi-kun, mada nemuttenai ka?_" Kuronue yawned.

"_Kuro-niisan, heitai wo mimashita!_"

Kuronue's face lost all traces of sleepiness.

"_Nani? Heitai ka?_" he asked, eyes sharp and alert. Shuichi nodded sharply as Youko appeared, his pale skin seeming to glow in the darkness.

"_Doushita, Shuichi?_"

"_Onii-sama, heitai_—"

There was a loud crack that made Shuichi yelp with fright. Youko's foxlike gray ears swiveled around, and the three ran to the balcony, staring out at the desert. The last sparks of explosive energy were falling from the sky, bathing the land below and the trio on the balcony in an eerie green glow.

"_Inari-sama_…" Shuichi saw the horror on his brother's face and felt his blood turn to ice. Youko Kurama was never, ever scared.

Kuronue turned to Youko, speaking softly in Alarician. Their voices were quiet but very urgent. Shuichi wished he knew more of the language; he could only pick out a few words here and there. Kuronue said something, and Youko suddenly went so pale that he looked like he might faint.

"_Shuichi_," Youko said sharply. "_Shinshitsu ni ike. Doa no kagi wo kakere._"

"_O… Onii-sama?_" Shuichi blinked, uncertain. Youko gave him a tiny, wavery smile and leaned downward, kissing him on the cheek.

"_Ike._"

Shuichi stared up at him, clasping his hand delicately to his chest. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, anything…but no words, Edengo or Alarician, came.

"_Shuichi-kun, ikenasai!_" Kuronue said, giving him an insistent nudge. Shuichi slowly nodded his head and began to walk. He glanced back at the two demons. Youko looked overwhelmed, while Kuronue made some frantic gestures with his hands. "_Hayaku!_"

Shuichi went back down the hall to his own bedchamber. He closed the door behind him, locked it, and curled up next to the bed on the side closest to the balcony.

There was a flash of green light followed by another loud crack. Shuichi jumped. It looked just like the Alarician fireworks, but those had been harmless, little containers of powder that shot into the air and exploded when they made contact with fire. The flares in the sky were raw, destructive energy—enough to give the illusion that a green sun was rising in the southeast.

"_Inari-sama_," Shuichi whispered. He hugged his knees to his chest, wishing more than anything that his brother were here to hold him.

* * *

A/N: The original title of this story was _Mukashi, Mukashi_. "_Mukashi, mukashi…_" is a phrase used at the beginning of Japanese fairytales and is roughly equivalent to "long, long ago."

**Please read and review!**


	2. The Misplaced Prince

Once Upon A Time…

by Mayushii

All copyright materials are property of their respective owners.

A/N: For a long time I wasn't sure if I should continue this story. It doesn't feel like my usual writing, and I'm dead scared that my characters will get OOC again. But the note at the end of **shiorifoxiesmom**'s first fanfic, about how important it is to readers that you update and finish your stories, made me feel guilty about leaving everyone hanging. So even if it sucks, I'm going to try to finish this fic. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the prologue, and apologize for the long wait. And if you have some time, go read Shiori-san's works.

…I tried to keep everyone in character, and as a result Kirin seems to have absorbed all of the OOCness. Seriously, he was nothing like this in the anime. But maybe he would act like that given the circumstances…? I know, I know, lame excuse. Anyways, please review!

* * *

The Misplaced Prince

Green stars burst apart in the sky, creating a peony effect. The form was perfect, but the midday sun outshone the fireworks, which weren't very bright in the first place. The firework-maker, a good-looking youth with smooth, reddish brown hair, frowned as the last sparks faded away.

"No good," Sakamoto mumbled. He raised his voice commandingly. "Jaki!"

There was a crack of orange light, and a small, gray-skinned imp appeared on the young man's shoulder.

"A bit weak, wasn't it?" the imp commented in its screechy voice. Sakamoto frowned, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his long, elegant nose. The creature's voice grated on his nerves. He wished he could have ensnared something more impressive, perhaps a kitsune or a fairy. For now, he would just have to make do with a common imp.

"I need more chlorine," Sakamoto said flatly. "See to it, Jaki."

"I'm not your slave," Jaki complained. "Get it yourself, Human."

Sakamoto reached up, calmly took the ends of Jaki's scraggly purple mane between his thumb and finger, and plucked the imp off his shoulder. The little creature cussed colorfully and thrashed around.

"I told you to call me 'Master,'" Sakamoto said. His pale green eyes narrowed with wicked amusement. "Now, I'm sure you would make a tasty morsel for one of the stray cats around here."

"Cats?" Jaki squeaked.

"Yes, you're right, you aren't my slave. In fact, you're just an extra mouth to feed," the human continued. "If you won't work, I'm really better off without you, aren't I? I could turn you loose and let you fend for yourself if you prefer."

The imp scowled.

"You play dirty," Jaki grumbled.

"Hmph." Sakamoto raised his chin arrogantly and flung the imp away. Jaki scratched a bony hand through his abused hair, made a rude gesture at the human, and bolted off.

The door of the old stable was ajar even before the flash of orange streaked inside. Jaki stopped in midair and then dove for a large, heavy chest in the center of the stable.

"Brat of a human," Jaki groused as he pushed open the lid of the chest. He searched through the little compartments and found a bottle of chlorine. "Hope he swallows it, the ungrateful… Gah!"

Jaki turned and nearly dropped the bottle when he saw a person crouched behind a manger.

"Shh," the person said, raising a finger to his lips. He wore a hood that covered his eyes, but Jaki could tell from the low voice that he was male.

"You scared me!" Jaki complained. "Who are you? This isn't your stable!"

"It isn't yours, either. We can call it even." The male reached up and lowered his hood, and Jaki cocked his head to the side.

He was a demon, and foreign as far as Jaki could tell. Alaricians always had blue-toned eyes, true blue or green or even purple, but this demon had eyes as red as human blood. His hair did grow in the flame-sweep pattern common in North Alaric's fire demons, but it was the deep blue-black of a shadow demon rather than blond or red. Most puzzling were some white strands that formed a starburst just above his brow—Jaki had never seen _any _demon with a marking like that.

"Do I know you?" Jaki asked.

"No," the demon said, more of a command than a statement. "I've never seen you before in my life."

Jaki observed as the demon reached into the manger with cupped hands and drew out some water. He splashed his face with it and then dug one hand into the floor, coming up with a handful of dirt. Rubbing his hand over his wet face, the demon coated his skin with mud.

_Is he trying to make himself dirty? _Jaki wondered. Sakamoto, the youngest son of a poor farmer, went to great lengths to groom himself every day. The human spent hours scrubbing his face, combing his hair, and washing his clothes—oftentimes when he was supposed to be doing his morning chores. It was interesting to see a demon going to such great pains to do the exact opposite.

"Some water in the hair will make it look greasy," Jaki said usefully. The backward demon glanced up for a second and then dunked his head into the water, much to the imp's delight. When the demon emerged, he squeezed the water out of his hair and used his fingers to comb it back into its flame-like style.

"And there's a little too much mud on your face, you can tell you did it on purpose. Splash a few times, it'll look more natural."

The demon did as Jaki told him and then inspected his reflection in the water.

"Thanks," the demon said. He reached into the sleeve of his robe. A shiny coin flipped through the air and hit the ground, rolling away. Jaki scrabbled after it. "Keep your mouth shut about seeing me, understand?"

Jaki glanced up, holding the coin between his clawed hands. Biting the coin with his tiny fangs, Jaki grinned when he found it was real silver. He bowed to the demon. "As you wish, sir."

The demon honored Jaki with a smile, complete with perfect ivory fangs that a peasant could only dream of having. Those fangs made the human brat look like he had a mouth full of rocks. Jaki's grin widened, and the demon nodded briefly before creeping through the back door.

* * *

Kirin was skilled in the handling of short-tempered monarchs. He had spent the last five years as Prince Hiei's tutor, after all, and many years before that as Queen Mukuro's strategist. But three kings, a queen, and a prince all at once? He wasn't _that _skilled!

The poor tutor stood in the great hall, his voice remarkably steady as he blatantly stalled the visiting royalty. Had Kirin not been wearing a painted mask over his face, the guests would have seen how much he was panicking.

"And, ah, we imported the cloth for His Highness's robes from Kumokubo," Kirin blathered. He rubbed his chin with the back of his hand, praying that no one had noticed the sweat that was leaking down his face and onto his neck. "Spidersilk, or _kumo no kimeito _as they call it in Kumokubo, is a rare cloth derived from the threads produced by—"

Karasu froze Kirin with a look. This was the one who most worried Kirin. He was the King of South Alaric, and he was a strikingly attractive demon. His hair was long, black and glossy like the raven feathers he was named after, and he wore exquisite black robes. His tastes were well-known throughout the kingdoms, in more ways than one; he had been rumored to have killed and eaten several of his own concubines.

"I'm sure we are all well aware of the origins of spidersilk, Master Kirin," Karasu said smoothly. "All of my robes are made of it."

"Ah… Ah, yes, of course. Your Majesty has exceptional taste," Kirin quivered.

"So I am told," Karasu said coolly. "But I would rather be told when we are to meet Prince Hiei."

Kirin almost gagged. "Ah, um, uh…"

"Sometime today, I hope?" Karasu pressed. "Or perhaps he will keep us waiting until tomorrow."

"Th-there was a lot of excitement in Vollmond Plaza," Kirin invented wildly. "It was getting out of hand. When His Highness was informed, he insisted on going there himself to restore order." Karasu narrowed his eyes, and Kirin squeaked, "He was adamant that the procession be perfect so that Your Majesties may enjoy it fully!"

Karasu hummed flatly, but accepted the rather transparent lie. Kirin held back a sigh of relief. _Thank the kami for vanity._

"He shoulda made these preparations before we showed up," Queen Kokou grumbled. She was quite pretty, with long blond hair and brown-and-orange garments that could hardly be called a gown. There were just as many stories about her as there were about Karasu, but Kirin had quickly learned that she was harmless when accompanied by her ogre husband.

"Now, dear, that's not nice," Enki said peaceably, patting Kokou on the shoulder with one massive red hand. "The people are eager to see their new king. It's understandable that they've gotten a little carried away. Remember how many people were happy to see you when you came to New Toranin?"

"He's not king yet, yanno," Kokou said dismissively. "An' I just came to see how Mukuro's doing. I hear she's not doin' too well these days."

"Well, I offered to bring one of my healers with me," Prince Koenma of Reikai spoke up. He was the youngest (and least scandalous) of the visiting royals. He wasn't eye-catching like the others, but his smooth skin and silken brown hair gave him a more subtle charm. He wore a long blue tunic over Reikai's characteristic white linen underclothes. "She said not to bother though. I guess she's been feeling better lately."

"I should hope so. I can only imagine how North Alaric would fare if left in Hiei's hands," sniffed King Yomi. He came from Gandara, the kingdom nearest to Reikai, as evidenced by the white linens under his royal purple tunic.

"He can't be that bad," Koenma said, trying to reason with his neighboring king.

"Begging your pardon, Prince Koenma, but I've met Prince Hiei once before. I assure you, he _is_ 'that bad.'"

Of course, Kirin could never forget _that _day. Yomi had been visiting with Queen Mukuro during the Feast of the Successor, the week in which the heir to North Alaric's throne was selected. Hiei had been eleven years old at the time, and the goat-king had been intrigued by the unique appearance of the "kid." When Yomi went for a closer look, Hiei bit his hand. Mukuro had never laughed so hard before… In effect, it was Yomi who had chosen the Prince of North Alaric.

The _misplaced _Prince, Kirin reminded himself. And the rulers of their allying kingdoms were getting impatient waiting for him.

"His Highness gave me his word that he would meet with each of you privately as soon as the procession is over," Kirin said firmly, lying through his teeth. "In the meantime, please allow me to give you a tour of the suites we have prepared for Your Majesties."

"A tour! How nice!" Enki said, pleased that there was a change of subject to distract his wife. "Kokou, dear, doesn't that sound lovely?"

"Yeah, whudever," Kokou muttered.

"It sounds perfect," Koenma said quickly. "Let's hurry along then."

The other four royals seemed to go along with Kirin's suggestion, but Karasu's glittering amethyst eyes stared down the poor tutor. The warning was as obvious as if he held a dagger—or perhaps just his own sharp, blood-colored fingernails—to Kirin's neck.

_Damn it, Yusuke__, _Kirin thought furiously, _if you don't bring him back here soon, they'll have my head five times over!_

* * *

"Ribs! Fresh pork ribs!"

"Come get your mead! Made from real honey!"

"Milk, special price today, one sterne!"

Hiei dodged around some ogres and stepped up to the milk stand. The merchant, an old woman with blackened teeth and wispy hair, assessed her customer's wealth. Her shrewd eyes lingered on his dirt-streaked face and ragged hood, and her lips puckered sourly. Nevertheless, when he shoved a piece of silver at her, the crone accepted his coin without complaint.

As the merchant scooped out some milk and handed over the cup, Hiei congratulated himself. The hag had taken him for a beggar. His disguise worked, then… His smirk widened, and he rewarded himself with a deep swallow from the cup she handed him. The milk was nothing like the cool, sweet cream he usually drank, but victory made it sweeter. By the time he tipped the last drops down his throat, he was almost gasping for breath.

The old woman snatched the cup away and started scrubbing it clean, still sneering at him in disgust. Secretly basking in the vendor's repulsed looks, Hiei left the shop and followed the music of flutes and stringed instruments. Vollmond Plaza was packed, so it was easy to lose himself in the crowd. He made his way toward the musicians and sat down on the ground, watching the demons around him.

Tonight marked the high point of the Festival of the Moon. Every year, during the week before the Seventh Moon, North Alaric's light demons came out to celebrate. Fire demons didn't worship the moon the way light demons did, but they did love entertaining guests. They opened their doors to pilgrimaging light demons and warmly accepted them into their houses. Of course, fire demons were sensualists by nature, so the fair guests were harassed sometimes. Thankfully, light demons were a very even-tempered sort and calmly dismissed their overeager hosts.

Hiei, for his part, had no interest in bedding any of the visiting light demons, but the Festival had other things to offer. The moon deity favored milk and honey and meat, so there was always good food in stock. The music was pleasant to the ears. Not surprisingly, the festival was at its best after dark; the light demons' skin filled the streets with a pale glow, and the fireworks were always a sight to see. If only he could elude capture long enough to see them…

A hand suddenly fell on Hiei's shoulder. He tensed, sure that he was caught.

"Hey, man. Any idea what time it is?"

Hiei relaxed at the familiar voice and glanced up, meeting warm brown eyes. The person grinning down at Hiei was unmistakably a Toranin demon, with knee-length hair as black and shaggy as a bear pelt. His skin was a rich caramel color, and sharp, angular tattoos marked his chest and arms and face. Even traditional Alarician clothes—a set of dark blue breeches and black shoes—looked bizarre because he wore no coat to go with it. Yet the foreigner held himself with pride, unashamed, and that was a sure sign of his power.

"Like what you see?" Yusuke teased.

"Hardly." Hiei shrugged his hand away. "I take it you're playing fetch."

"Not at all, Your Highness." Hiei nearly jumped out of his skin, his wide eyes darting around to see if anyone had noticed. Miraculously, no one was within earshot. He breathed a tiny sigh of relief before turning to gnash his teeth at Yusuke.

"I told you not to call me that," Hiei hissed.

"Fine. How about 'My Lord,' then? Is that better?" Hiei's scowl darkened. Yusuke sat down next to the Prince of North Alaric and tousled his hair fondly. "Come on, Baby, all you have to do is say the word and I'll call you by name instea—"

Hiei closed a hand around Yusuke's wrist and twisted the demon's arm around. The blurred movement happened before Yusuke could blink, but Hiei's careless look suggested that this was slow for him.

"Call me 'Baby' again and I break your wrist."

"Ow, ow ow ow! That _hurts, _man!" Yusuke yelped, trying to wrestle his arm out of Hiei's very strong grip. The prince released his friend, and Yusuke rubbed his wrist, which hadn't broken but would surely bruise if he didn't heal it. "Damn… Ya know, since you almost just broke my wrist, it's kinda like you were giving me permission. Sneaky little flirt."

"Give it up!" Hiei said exasperatedly.

"Well, I kinda thought you'd be the one giving it up…" Hiei's eyebrow twitched dangerously, and Yusuke grinned. "I'm kidding! Sheesh. You're not even my type."

"Small miracle," Hiei muttered under his breath. He glanced at Yusuke. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Are you blind or something?" Yusuke asked, motioning with one hand toward a couple of light demons. "What do you think I came for?"

"I think you came to get some light demons drunk and take advantage of them."

"Buying a new friend a drink is not taking advantage of them," Yusuke said sensibly. "It just loosens them up a little. I've gotta get you drunk sometime, man. Maybe you'll let me get that stick out of your ass."

Hiei gave him a dull look.

"So if you're not here to find me, who _is _looking for me? Kirin?"

"Nah, Kirin's got his hands full."

"Then who—" Hiei's face went blank. "It _was _you."

"Sorry. Yeah." Yusuke sighed. "I can only give you maybe an hour. Then you have to get back there, or Kirin… Well, let's just say you'll have to find yourself a new tutor."

"No, I should just go back," Hiei said flatly, running an agitated hand through his hair. "What the hell was I thinking, coming out here? I was a fool—"

"No you weren't," Yusuke said firmly. "You were a _demon_, to want to come. You've been going stir-crazy locked up in the palace all day. We've all seen it. Seriously, Kirin should have expected you to run out. Actually, I probably would have run as soon as I saw those robes he wants you to wear. I mean, I know you said that you don't want pity, but…"

Hiei swatted a hand at Yusuke, which the demon grabbed firmly. His bright brown eyes shone down at Hiei almost sternly.

"Now get up and have some fun damn it," Yusuke ordered the prince. "Who knows when you'll get another chance?"

Hiei frowned dully at Yusuke. Finally, he let his best friend pull him upward by his captured hand.

"Now there we go," Yusuke said approvingly. "Come on, we have to see Chu. Came all the way from Gandara for the festival. First order of business, me and Chu have got a barrel of mead with your name on it…"

"May as well," Hiei muttered as Yusuke practically dragged him down the street. "I'm fucked anyway…"

* * *

A/N: End part two. Not much to say now, besides the standard plea for reviews. :P

-Fun fact: The currency for Alaric, sterne, is named after the German word for "star". I was inspired by the German fairy tale "The Star Money" aka "The Star Thalers", in which a poor girl gives away all her worldly possessions to help beggars. Afterward stars fall from the sky and land at her feet, turning to silver thalers (coins), and she is rich for the rest of her life.


	3. Mulled Mead and Vinegar

Once Upon A Time…

by Mayushii

All copyright materials are property of their respective owners.

A/N: Here's another chapter, finally. If you're wondering, I based my Alaric on everything I could remember about the old Germanic tribes (since Alaric is a name from Old German meaning "noble ruler"). Of course, it's also mixed with a lot of my own stuff. And now, enjoy Yusuke and Hiei's drunken antics.

This chapter is dedicated to the incredibly talented **Blossomwitch**.

* * *

Mulled Mead and Vinegar

Yusuke led Hiei out of the plaza, down a street and through an alley. Soon they were making their way down a narrow backstreet. It was darker here, Hiei noticed; the tall buildings on either side blocked out the sun, casting heavy shadows over the uneven cobblestone. Even though sunset was hours away still, some of the streetlamps were lit.

"Where are we?" Hiei asked.

"Relax," Yusuke said. "And come in here a minute, will ya?"

Hiei held back a yelp as the Toranin demon dragged him down an alley. Scowling, he jerked his hand away. "Yusuke, we've been over this…"

"Yeah, yeah. No holding hands on penalty of having them removed. Ever wonder if this no-touch policy is why no one's asked to mate you yet?"

"I don't care if I never mate."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "You really shouldn't say things like that, Hiei. It's a dead giveaway that you're a virgin."

Hiei opened his mouth to protest, only to let out a startled yelp when Yusuke grabbed his foot. The prince wobbled ungracefully as his friend removed one of his slippers. Silk, blue with pure white trim, and embroidered with tiny white stars, they were the only part of his wardrobe Hiei hadn't been able to replace.

"Cute shoe," Yusuke commented. Hiei glowered as the other demon glanced around and snatched up a sliver of wood from the ground. "You mind burning the end of this?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Hiei took the end of the sliver between his thumb and finger. A short burst of energy turned the bit of wood into a cinder.

"Perfect," Yusuke said. He pushed the sole of Hiei's slipper to the wall and started scratching at the inside.

"What are you doing?" It was obvious, of course—Yusuke was using the charcoal to draw on the bottom of his slipper. Hiei stared blankly as the Toranin wrote a very lopsided '18' on the thin sole.

"There ya go," Yusuke said proudly, returning the slipper.

"And what is this for?" Hiei frowned.

"Just trust me, okay?"

Hiei stared for a long moment. Finally, he sighed and put the slipper back on his foot. Carefully rearranging the front of his robe so the slippers were covered, he followed his friend out of the alley.

Yusuke went up to a battered wooden door and knocked three times. There were a few seconds of silence, and Hiei briefly wondered if Yusuke had made a mistake. Then the door creaked open and a sea demoness popped her head out from behind it.

"Hey there, Juri," Yusuke grinned. "How's the mead today?"

"It's fine," the demon girl frowned back at him. Her scaly blue ear twitched. "Who's your friend?"

"His name's Kage. He's, uh, not from around here. Came to check out the Festival, if you know what I mean."

Juri looked Hiei over slowly. She began at his feet and traveled upward, her eyes going all the way up to the tips of his hair before returning to his face. Then she frowned doubtfully.

"Are you over eighteen?" Juri asked. Hiei froze, but Yusuke just threw an arm over his shoulders.

"Yep, he sure is," the Toranin winked.

Juri's ear twitched again, but she opened the door to let them in. Hiei's eyes went wide.

She was practically naked. She wore a pink scarf draped over her seafoam-green ponytail and a second wrapped around her hips—that was all. Juri's state of undress left Hiei speechless, but she didn't seem bothered by it. In fact, she was wearing some sort of body glitter that drew even more attention to her bare, light brown skin.

"Have a seat, gentlemen," Juri said as Yusuke pushed his shocked friend into the bar. "A server will be by in a minute."

Hiei was baffled as Juri walked away, her long tail swinging to and fro. He glanced around and saw other girls serving drinks and chatting with customers. All were beautiful and not one was fully clothed.

"Don't stare, Baby," Yusuke said. "You're making me jealous."

Hiei snapped his mouth shut with a click of his fangs.

"What the hell is _this?_" he hissed.

"It's a bar, of course." Yusuke was unapologetic. In fact, the bastard sounded all too pleased with himself. "You ask me, you should make the most of it. Maybe we can get you laid."

"You son of a—"

"Okay, wasted first, then laid," Yusuke said decisively. Hiei growled furiously, but Yusuke raised his voice. "Hey, Chu! Where are ya?"

With an arm over his shoulder, Hiei was guided further inside and seated in a chair at a round table. Yusuke took the chair beside him, separating him from a tall demon who reeked of alcohol. The demon's tan, muscular arms were left bare by his leather vest, and his purple hair was shaved away on the sides so there was a narrow strip standing up in the center. Hiei had never seen anything like it.

"Well, if it ain't Yusuke!" the demon grinned.

"Hi Chu," Yusuke returned. "How've you been?"

"Not bad, not bad. Haven't seen ya around Gandara lately, mate. Where've you been, eh? Last I heard you ditched Yomi for Hiei."

"Mukuro. But yeah, Hiei too."

"Damn risky move, up and changing lords like that. And coming over here… Yomi musta been pissed when you told him. I hear he still has the marks on his hand from when Hiei bit him!" Chu laughed raucously, and then he suddenly seemed to notice the demon in the chair next to Yusuke's. "Hello… And who might this be?"

"Kage. He's not from around here either," Yusuke said.

Chu scratched his stubble thoughtfully, peering into Hiei's face. "Ah… And whereabouts are you from, Kage?"

"North," Hiei answered shortly.

"Oh?" Chu clearly expected him to elaborate, but after a few seconds he just shrugged. "Well, tha's your own business I guess." He looked around and beamed. "Ah, there it is!"

Hiei turned his head as a redheaded demoness carrying a tray approached. She was dressed just as scantily as Juri, with her round breasts wrapped up in green cord and her pale skin sparkling.

"Here's you go, sir," she said. She lowered the tray so she could place a pint of mead in front of Chu.

"Thanks, Ruka." Chu jerked a thumb in Hiei and Yusuke's direction. "You mind getting a few for my friends here, too?"

"Certainly. I'll be right back, gentlemen."

Ruka left, and Hiei couldn't help staring at her as she went. Her long, ruby-colored hair swung with every step, waving at him flirtingly. It was only when that red hair whipped around the corner and out of sight that Hiei came back to his senses. Shaking his head slightly, he turned and saw Yusuke watching him with raised eyebrows.

"I don't think I've ever seen you check someone out like that," Yusuke commented. "Got a thing for redheads?"

"Shut up."

"Nothing to be embarrassed about! The sheilas are here to be checked out, aren't they?" Chu raised his pint to Hiei in a toast, and then he drank deeply. A minute later he slammed the empty mug back on the table, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ahh… Good friends, good mead, beautiful girls… This is paradise, mate."

Hiei might have disagreed, but Ruka chose that moment to return. The redhead gave him a small smirk as she placed a pint in front of him, and Hiei blinked uncertainly as she leaned in close.

"Enjoy," Ruka murmured in his ear. She gave his cheek a quick kiss and left. Hiei sat stunned for a moment, and then he was thumped on the back.

"You heard the girl!" Yusuke laughed. "Drink up!"

Hiei slowly picked up his mug, looking down at the contents. It was clear, golden, and fresh enough that froth floated at the top. He took a hesitant sip. There were spices in it, maybe ginger and nutmeg. Curious, Hiei took a large gulp and then lowered the mug. Yusuke looked at him eagerly.

"Well? How is it?"

"It's spicy." Hiei blinked, surprised. "And sweet."

"So you like it?" Yusuke asked. Hiei nodded. Yusuke beamed and reached for his own mug, clinking it against Hiei's. "Cheers!"

* * *

"Come on! One more! _Yeahhh!_" Yusuke waved at one of the servers. "'Ey! Hi—I mean Kaga—gu… Ah hell, we need s'more!"

"No, we don't," Hiei said. "You've had enough."

"Don't be a baby!" Yusuke lifted his mug, but he ended up slopping the mead all over himself. He blinked dumbly.

"Haha, yer pretty smashed!" Chu laughed. Hiei rolled his eyes and stopped a passing server.

"We need a towel," he told her. She nodded and hurried off.

Hiei was only a little drunk. He had sipped slowly from his mead and was pretty much subdued, though his senses were a bit clouded. Yusuke was another story. He was giggling incessantly and kept blurting things out—for instance, the inappropriate comment that had made Ruka slap _Hiei_ (which made no sense at all) and ask another girl to look after their table.

"Juri, I'll have summa that," Chu said as the girl passed with a pitcher of beer.

"How many did he have?" Juri asked, edging around Yusuke.

"Barely two," Chu grinned. "Kinda a pushover."

"Am not…" Yusuke hiccupped once, twice, and the second one sent him toppling backward. Hiei wrapped his arms about his friend in hopes of keeping him steady, and Yusuke moaned, his cheeks pink. "Oh hell 'iei, are you this hot on the inside too?"

Hiei's face turned a blotchy red when Yusuke started rubbing against him. "Get your hands off me!"

"Pushover," Chu said under his breath. He watched as Hiei tried to catch Yusuke's wandering hands. "Good kid though… I think I like 'im."

"Knock it off, Yusuke!" Hiei snarled. "You said I'm not your type!"

"Course you are, Baby," Yusuke said with a languid smile. He leaned forward, hands moving over Hiei's chest, and nibbled gently on his friend's ear.

"Ohhh no," Juri put her hands on her hips and frowned as Yusuke shamelessly groped the horrified prince. "Look, we have perfectly good rooms upstairs if you want to do that kind of thing."

"They aren't staying the night, Juri," Chu shook his head. "Kage over here needs to go home in an hour."

"Yeah, yeah. You said that two hours ago," Juri grumbled. She walked away, her tail flicking agitatedly as she went to serve another customer. Hiei and Yusuke froze.

"Two hours?" Hiei asked slowly. He closed his eyes tightly and then opened them. "What… What time is it now?"

"About sunset," Chu said. "The good times do fly! You gonna be in trouble with your parents, kid?"

Hiei tossed Yusuke from his lap, making a run for the door. He made it all of three steps before the single pint of mead he had consumed suddenly tipped his vision. He staggered and crashed into a bull demon with large horns.

"What the hell are you doing, you little moron?" the bull snorted. Hiei regained his footing and continued toward the door. Yusuke chased after Hiei, collided with the same demon, and shouted for the dumb heifer to watch where he was going. This was the last straw for the bull: he charged, knocking three other customers from their stools, and soon mead and broken glass were flying in all directions. Chu tugged one of the serving girls out of the way as Hiei and Yusuke escaped into the street.

"We're dead, we're dead, we're so dead…"

"Shut up Yusuke!" Hiei snarled. "It's not us who's dead, it's Ki…Ke…Keeee…"

Hiei toppled against a wall, head spinning. Yusuke paused next to him, grabbing his hand and helping him to his feet.

"Shit, I can't believe we were in there for two hours," Yusuke muttered, slinging Hiei's arm over his shoulders. "What are we gonna do?"

"Go back," said Hiei. "There's nothing else we can do."

Yusuke nodded helplessly. He half-carried Hiei along the dark backstreet and through the alley, and soon they emerged onto the main street. It was crowded, with shadows stretching through the orange glow of sunset.

"The procession starts at dusk. We'll never make it."

"Like hell we won't," Yusuke rumbled. "We're two of the fastest demons in North Alaric."

"Only when we're sober," Hiei pointed out.

"We'll just have to sober up then, won't we?"

They started up the street, Yusuke looking through the various stands as they went. The area had been redecorated for the procession: wires were strung between the streetlamps, dangling with glass baubles and silvery ornaments, and reflective surfaces were hung on every door. The lamps were starting to flicker to life, their usual orange glow replaced with pale blue-white. Every decoration was chosen to reflect or compliment the full moonlight.

"There! There it is!" Yusuke brought Hiei over to a stand that sold cooking seasonings and bought a bottle. Then he ducked into the alley next to the stand, propped Hiei up against a wall, and uncorked the bottle.

"What is that?" Hiei asked.

"Something to sober us up," Yusuke answered. He took a quick sniff of the contents, wincing. "Ugh… This is gonna suck."

He pinched his nose, raised the bottle to his mouth, and knocked it back.

It looked painful, Hiei thought. Yusuke's face twisted, and when he lowered the bottle he went into a coughing fit. He clutched at his throat, sputtering, and passed the bottle over to Hiei. "H-hurry up, and try not to get it on your tongue."

Now that the bottle was under his nose Hiei could smell its contents easily. Cringing at the foul odor, he wet his lips and drank…or tried, at least.

He couldn't understand how Yusuke had done it. The stuff was sour, worse than anything Hiei had ever tasted. His tongue kept trying to force it from his mouth, and soon he choked, nearly dropping the bottle. He tried to drink again and had the same result.

"Hiei, we don't have time for this!"

"Well I'm _sorry _if I don't go knocking back acid like the rest of you idiots!"

"Damn it…!"

Yusuke pinned Hiei up against the wall and snatched the bottle away. Hiei opened his mouth to yell, but the next thing he knew Yusuke had poured the vile liquid down his throat and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"_Mph—nghhh!_"

"You can thank me later," Yusuke said. Hiei gulped loudly, his reflexes apparently having decided that swallowing the nasty drink was better than drowning in it. Yusuke let the prince down and chucked the empty bottle into an alley. "Now come on!"

Hiei coughed violently, trying to get air into his lungs. His throat and stomach and everything in between felt as if they had been scrubbed raw. As he began to regain his senses, Hiei swore that he would never, _ever _drink alcohol again.

Yusuke took his hand and led him out of the alley. Hiei stumbled and tripped several steps before his vision cleared.

"You okay?"

"_No._"

"Yeah, didn't think so. But at least you're sober." Yusuke looked up and down the street. "Now, where did you leave your clothes?"

Hiei pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ease his sudden headache. _Instant hangover_, he thought unhappily. "This way."

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it for that chapter. Not much going on, except some character background. We now know that Hiei hasn't been asked to mate but has a thing for redheads, and we've learned that Yusuke used to work for Yomi…among lots of other things, but I expect I don't need to list them all.

**¹** Metheglin - a type of mead made with spices or herbs. Also known as "mulled mead."

**²** Vinegar - absolutely revolting home remedy for sobering up fast. The sooner you take it, the better the effect.


	4. The Moon Mirror

Once Upon A Time…

by Mayushii

All copyright materials are property of their respective owners.

A/N: Changed the title because apparently _Mukashi, Mukashi_ made it seem like there was gong to be an OC named Mukashi. No… "_Mukashi, mukashi_" is just a way of opening Japanese fairy tales. The new title, _Once Upon A Time…_ means exactly the same thing. -_-; Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to my roommate, **Demifish **(DeviantArt). She is artsy and geeky and has helped get my creative juices flowing once again, which is why I've been writing lately. Thanks also go to JRR Tolkien, because I just spent three days of my spring break watching the LOTR movies and they're what inspired me to write another chapter of this story in particular.

**_Please_ read and review. I'm sorry, but if I don't get reviews I feel like no one's reading the story, and I don't see much point in writing if there's no audience. So if you like the story, review it. Even a simple "Keep going!" would be nice.**

* * *

The Moon-Mirror

"This place is depressing," Kokou said, looking around the room with an air of discontent. It was much like the rest of Alaric's palace, with dreary gray stonework hidden behind summer tapestries. There were bronze torch brackets built into the walls, sculpted in the shape of dancing flames and gleaming as if they would light the room all on their own. Kokou frowned. "Why aren't there more windows around here? They would light the room better."

"North Alaric is quite cold in the winter," Kirin explained as Kokou made her way toward one of the windows. "If there were more windows, we would all freeze to death… Well, perhaps not the fire demons, but not all of us have the fortune of being self-contained furnaces."

"Yeah, well, it's not winter now, and I think I'm going to suffocate in here," Kokou grumbled. She undid the latch that held the window closed, pushed the shutters out, and took a deep breath. "Ah! There, that's much better."

Enki joined Kokou at the window, placing his large hands on her slim shoulders as he peered outside. There was no trace of the sun; it had fallen beyond the western horizon, though the sky was yet pale with its lingering light. Stars had just begun to twinkle in the deepening blue of the twilight. "It's lovely, isn't it, Kokou? It reminds me of home."

Kokou pouted. "I guess so…"

The king and queen stood by the window for a long moment, admiring the serene beauty of the land. But soon Yomi cleared his throat, and Kokou quickly pulled out of Enki's arms, glaring at the others in the room. Enki sighed in resignation.

"Master Kirin, did you say the procession starts at dusk?"

"Yes," Kirin nodded, forcing down his sense of dread as he realized he could stall the guests no longer. _I will just have to hope that Yusuke found Hiei, _he thought. He bowed and swept his arm out to the side in a graceful flourish. "If Your Majesties would follow me?"

They left the room, Kirin leading them down a hallway that would take them to the western side of the palace. Koenma kept to the front of the party, and soon he glanced at Kirin.

"What sort of ceremony should we expect?" the Reikai prince asked.

"Oh, it's a very standard affair," Kirin answered. "We have had this ritual for nearly five hundred years. It began when the light demons made their first pilgrimage to celebrate the Festival of the Moon. The queen might have turned them away, but instead she showed them hospitality. In return, the light demons granted the queen a blessing: they allowed her to look upon the Moon-Mirror, which showed the queen the means by which North Alaric could prosper. Every year since, the ruler of North Alaric has met with the light demons and reenacted the event."

Koenma blinked, tipping his head as Kirin opened a door and led them into the western entrance hall. "But then, shouldn't Queen Mukuro perform this ritual?"

Kirin shook his head. "Her Majesty is not well enough to participate, so she decided that Prince Hiei should go in her place. After all, he will rule someday." _Perhaps sooner than we would like to think,_ Kirin added silently.

Karasu's eyes flashed, but then a door opened nearby and a tall, rough-looking man in a physician's robe hurried over.

"Kirin, we fou—" Shigure looked at the five royals and quickly changed his words. "We are ready to begin the procession as scheduled."

The tutor felt his knees nearly buckle as relief washed through him. They had found Hiei after all.

"Thank you for the message, Shigure," he said meaningfully. Shigure nodded his head, briefly bowed to the guests, and left the way he had come. Kirin smiled and motioned toward the doors, now finding it quite easy to give a cordial smile and bow.

* * *

"Ouch!" Hiei hissed as the brush yanked at his wet, tangled hair. "Are you trying to tear my hair out?"

"It's not my fault you decided to take a mud bath. You could have just worn your hood up, you know," Yusuke answered unapologetically. He gave the brush a rough tug, dislodging it from the knot…and coming back with a clump of dirt and blue-black hair. "Oops…"

"_Oops?_ What the hell do you mean, _oops?_"

"Nothing," Yusuke said, hastily removing the clump from the bristles. He dragged the brush through Hiei's hair a few more times, making sure there were no stray tangles or bits of dirt left. He nodded his approval. "You're good. Dry off."

Hiei immediately sank his hands into his hair and raised his energy, drying the thick strands as quickly as he could.

"This is a nightmare," Hiei muttered. "An absolute—_fucking hell, Yusuke!_"

"You smelled like horse shit," Yusuke said defensively. He ran his oiled hands down Hiei's forearms, behind his ears and over his throat.

"Better horse shit than _this _shit!" Hiei wrinkled his nose as the scent of violets and sweet pea blossoms wafted up from the oil. "I smell like a woman!"

"That's probably for the best, since everyone who's done this thing before you has been a girl," Yusuke said. He quickly patted Hiei's cheeks and stepped away, looking his friend up and down.

Hiei did not look himself. His face was pale and spotless, his hair like a black flame that gleamed blue when the light caught it. His billowy robe was made from blue silk, the top of which was embroidered with white stars. Stretching along the lower half was an elaborate needlework scene depicting the Festival of the Moon. To one side were blue- and purple-haired light demons, and to the other were yellow- and red-haired fire demons. In the center were the leaders of the two races, both peering down at the Moon-Mirror, from which beams of white radiated as if it would outshine its namesake.

Yusuke watched as Hiei shifted nervously. It couldn't be clearer that he didn't feel comfortable wearing these extravagant robes. Yusuke might have gently assured the prince that he looked perfect, but he had learned over the years that kind words just made Hiei more self-conscious. The only real way to reassure him was to insult him so that he rose to his own defense.

So Yusuke gave him a smile. "Don't you worry about a thing, Hiei. No one would ever guess you're a man under that dress."

Hiei blinked in shock, snarled, and lunged at Yusuke, only to be dragged back by a firm arm around his middle.

"There is no time for that," Shigure said to the struggling prince.

"I'll wring his neck…!"

"Like you could," Yusuke said, grinning as Hiei made a second lunge. Shigure tightened his grip and sent a withering look at Yusuke, who merely shrugged and watched with amusement.

"Your Highness, may I advise you?" Hiei stopped thrashing long enough to send an impatient glare up at Shigure. "Postpone Master Yusuke's execution until after the ceremony. If you still wish to kill him then, I will hold him down for you."

Yusuke balked and Hiei smirked.

"All right. I will wait until after the ceremony," Hiei nodded. He turned his wickedly glittering eyes on Yusuke. "Enjoy what little time you have left among the living."

Shigure set Hiei loose, and the prince quickly straightened his robe. He raised his chin and marched toward the door of the room he had used to groom himself and change clothes. Yusuke watched him go with a look of uncertainty on his face.

"You were joking about holding me down, right?" Yusuke asked. "I don't think Hiei needs any help."

"I don't think so either," Shigure agreed. "Nevertheless, it is my duty as his physician to make sure he does not put unnecessary strain on himself."

"You are such a bastard."

Shigure smirked and thumped a hand on Yusuke's shoulder. "Perhaps you should flee the country."

"And miss the chance to see Hiei make an ass of himself? No thanks."

The two demons left the room together and made their way to the entrance hall in companionable silence. Rather than leaving through the large main doors, they took one of the small side doors so that they could exit the palace and plunge themselves into the crowd unnoticed. They waded through the masses for a while and soon took a place near the street, under a string of blue and white baubles. It was nearly a minute before Shigure had the thought to ask.

"Is there some reason you are wearing ladies' perfume?"

Yusuke blinked and looked down at the hands he had used to rub oil on Hiei. He coughed and wiped the oil on someone's back, earning a scandalized look from the young woman.

"I'm not. Must be someone else."

"I don't think so. The scent followed us all the way from the palace. I smell sweet peas…" Shigure took a whiff of the air just to make sure. "…and violets."

"Look, you're probably imagining things—" Yusuke broke off when a loud cheer came from the crowd around them. He peered up the street and saw the procession, led by a pair of shadow demons and tailed by fire demons, all bearing flags with the royal coat of arms. Yusuke pointed at Hiei, who was walking in the center. "Hey, look, there he is!"

"I could see him much better if your hand wasn't in my face," Shigure said. He quickly raised his hand and snatched Yusuke's wrist, turning it around so that he could sniff at the skin. "And you _are _wearing perfume, Yusuke."

"That's… Well, it's Hiei's fault! If he didn't roll around in horse shit…!"

Shigure covered Yusuke's mouth with his hand, his eyes darting frantically to the visiting royalty following Hiei's procession. "Quiet! Do you want them to know where Hiei has been?"

"_Geroff me!_"

"Ouch! Did you just bite me?"

"_Gueff!_"

"Why, you dirty Toranin—"

* * *

The visiting royalty stared as they walked past the scuffle. Shigure managed to shake Yusuke off his hand rather like he was ridding himself of an attacking dog, and paid him back for the bite by punching him hard in the stomach. The Toranin demon went flying back into a young woman, and they both toppled into a large basket of cloth.

"Well well," Karasu said loftily. "So much for restoring order."

Yomi snorted. "I told you that Hiei was a menace. Wherever he goes, a fight is sure to follow."

Hiei forced down his mortification, hearing the comments that were being made behind his back. _I think I might actually kill him,_ he thought as he continued down the street. As he neared his destination, he could see the blue-white glow of the lamps mingling with the radiance of the light demons' faces. By the time he stepped into Vollmond Plaza, it was as light as daytime.

In the center of the plaza, in front of the fountain, were three light demonesses. The one in front was a girl with a long, pale blue ponytail, and she wore a white kimono painted with flowers in shades of pink and white. Kirin had introduced her as Botan, a princess of the light demons, but Hiei had not been able to muster any respect for her. The girl was weak and completely ignorant of wartime practices, and Hiei took her to be a bit stupid. Moreover, Botan's ever-present smile made Hiei uncomfortable—he wasn't used to anyone smiling at him so much (besides Yusuke, and he rarely meant well when he smiled).

Beside and behind Botan were two others Hiei didn't recognize. They were wearing slightly darker kimono with less elaborate painting, and both had purple hair of different shades. The darker one held a long pole with the flag of the light demons—a white background with three wavy blue lines across the center. The fairer one held a cloth-covered object in her hands.

"Hail Prince Hiei!" said Botan cheerfully. "It's so nice to meet with you again."

Hiei wanted to pretend she hadn't spoken, but he would rather not spoil the ceremony, considering how close he had come to missing it altogether. So he forced down any disdain he felt for the girl, inclined his head in a little bow, and said, "It's nice to meet you again…milady."

Botan beamed at this, her face seeming to glow with happiness. She cleared her throat.

"On behalf of my people," Botan recited, her attempts at sounding majestic rather clashing with her bubbly nature, "I would thank you for permitting us to stay in your domain during our time of celebration. Tonight I offer a gift in return for your kindness."

She motioned toward the fairer attendant, who stepped forward. Botan took the object the servant had been holding, nearly dropped it, and giggled nervously before turning back to Hiei.

"The Moon-Mirror," Hiei heard Kirin whisper behind him. Botan smiled.

"The Moon-Mirror!" she trilled. "When looked upon during a full moon, this mirror shall reflect the greatest desire of the person who looks into it!"

Hiei knew his own line well: it was the same thing every ruler before him had said. "Then let it show me how my kingdom may prosper."

Botan smiled even wider, and Hiei once again felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. That smile was…disturbing. It gave Hiei the feeling that (in spite of her stupidity) Botan knew things about him that he really didn't want her knowing.

"If that is what you wish," Botan said.

The cloth covering was pulled away, and Hiei closed his eyes against the bright gleam. When he opened them again, he beheld a round glass not much larger than his hand. It was surrounded by a frame of brown clay so poorly crafted that it had cracked in the kiln, and yet it was set with eight perfect white pearls.

Hiei leaned forward over the mirror, rather puzzled. He had expected the treasure to be more impressive… Then something flashed in the mirror's surface, and Hiei took a startled step back.

"Oh, you _do _see something!" Botan said excitedly. "Come on, then, have a good look!"

Hiei looked at her, slightly disgruntled, and leaned in again. Forcing down his doubts, the prince peered down into the mirror.

The thing that had flashed across the surface before was there again—emeralds, pure and clear and shining. Hiei blinked and the emeralds became eyes. They were set in a young, rather pleasing face surrounded by long waves of red hair. Then the face was connected to a handsomely clothed body, and the red-haired youth was laughing with delight as he was spun around by who Hiei thought was Karasu of South Alaric. The pair swayed together, dancing, Karasu drawing the youth into a hug. The boy tipped his head back to give Karasu a radiant smile, which was returned readily.

Hiei backed away slowly this time, but he couldn't tear his eyes from the red-haired youth. As he watched, the scene changed and the boy was standing in front of a large bed. His eyes were glittering with happiness and mischief, and Hiei flushed slightly at the feelings that look awakened inside of him. He had no doubt of the boy's purpose, so Hiei averted his eyes.

"Done already?" Botan asked, sounding surprised. Hiei glanced up at her sharply, having forgotten she was there.

"Yes," Hiei said. "I've seen all I needed to see."

Botan smiled, and the Moon-Mirror was covered once more.

"I hope you will allow us to return next year," Botan said.

"You will be most welcome," Hiei replied, still a bit distracted by what he had seen in the mirror. Botan bent her knees in a little curtsy, which Hiei returned by bending forward at the waist in a bow.

A loud bang sounded, and white and red fireworks lit the sky. Hiei and Botan straightened up to much clapping and cheering, and then the ceremony was over. More bangs and showers of color filled the night, but Hiei wouldn't be able to appreciate them—he had business to attend.

Hiei turned around to look at his royal guests. Enki and Kokou were watching the fireworks with wonder. Koenma was looking right past Hiei, his mouth hanging open as he looked at Botan. They would let themselves be diverted for a while, so Hiei wouldn't have to meet with them just yet. Yomi and Karasu, however, were not distracted, since Yomi was blind and Karasu came from a country that had both fireworks and beautiful women in abundance.

_For the prosperity of North Alaric, _Hiei thought, _I have to find that boy and make sure Karasu falls in love with him. _He remembered the youth, his beauty and energy and…eagerness to be bedded…and thought such a person would be easy to love. But looking at Karasu, Hiei doubted anything could make his white cheeks turn red, nor warm and soften the hard ice in his eyes.

Karasu swept forward briskly, and Hiei put the beautiful boy out of his mind. Now was not the time to think about such things. He had to get through his initial meeting before anything else.

* * *

A/N: So, there's a new chapter for anyone who is still reading. I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I'm sure it must be obvious, but the Moon-Mirror was the Forlorn Hope/Mirror of Darkness/Ankokukyo. Luckily Hiei didn't actually make a wish, no? :P

-Hiei's wearing a pope robe. …Yes, you may laugh now.

**Please read and review!**


	5. Poetry

Once Upon a Time…

by Mayushii

All copyright materials are property of their respective owners.

A/N: Of all the stories I didn't expect to update… Well, here's a new chapter. It's really just a short thing so that I can get back in the habit of writing this story, I hope no one minds. We'll get back to the action next chapter…assuming anyone still cares about this story. -_-;

This chapter is dedicated to **Demifish**, who is my eternal muse.

* * *

Poetry

In the morning, Hiei wondered how he had gotten through the rest of the night. He sat in a large armchair by the tower window, a book in one hand and a plate of fruits balanced on a stack of books beside him. He took a languid bite of an apple as he stared mindlessly down at his book. It was written in a dead language that was beautiful to hear and a pain to read, and in reality he was only pretending to understand the flowing lines of ink. Instead, he was absorbed in thoughts about the night of the festival.

Karasu had been even worse than Hiei had expected. The South Alarician king had observed all the ceremony required of him, but he had gotten down to business as soon as the formalities were out of the way. Business, of course, meaning a systematic interrogation about Hiei's political intent.

Would trade between their two countries remain the same, or would Hiei be willing to lower that tariff Mukuro had set up?

Would they continue the argument over who owned the islands to the east, or would Hiei finally accept that they were Karasu's?

Would the border between North and South Alaric remain an issue, or would Hiei consent to raising the border from the Holy River?

Would Hiei stand by Mukuro's belief that Karasu had been responsible for the Rape of Eden, or would he admit that it had been a secret faction based in his own country?

Hiei had been prepared to give in to most of Karasu's demands—he wasn't ready for war just yet, and he could always reclaim his losses later—but he had put his foot down at this last. Eden had been a beautiful kingdom, a mythical garden that had sprouted up in the middle of a desert, and it had been on peaceful terms with every country on the map. Then, five years ago, it had been destroyed in a single night. There had been no surviving victims, so no one had been able to say who had been responsible for the attack. Mukuro suspected Karasu because the desert was all that separated South Alaric and Eden. Karasu argued back that there were other countries with such access, including Gandara and Pathos (which had subsequently fallen into ruin, since the King of Pathos had been in Eden at the time of the attack). The place that had the best access of all, however, was the southernmost tip of North Alaric. Karasu said a rebel group from this southern tip must have staged the attack.

By the end of the meeting, Karasu had left with his nose in the air, saying that he wouldn't deign to speak to this _impertinent child _anymore, and Hiei had wanted to break something.

Things had gotten better after that. His conference with Yomi had been tense, but Hiei had managed not to worsen the rift between them. He counted that as a victory and proceeded to his meeting with Enki and Kokou. Ironically, the ogre king had been very kind and supportive, and he had even managed to persuade his wife that Hiei would be a fine ruler once he learned the ropes. Last came Koenma, who was little older than Hiei. His mind had clearly been elsewhere, and Hiei finally asked if he should arrange introductions with a certain light maiden for him. Koenma had been horribly embarrassed and offended until he realized Hiei's offer had been genuine, at which point he mumbled that this would be very helpful and thanked him.

It had gone as well as could be expected. Even if his talk with Karasu had been a disaster, Hiei was sure he could make things work. After all, the Moon-Mirror had shown him how to ease the tension. Hiei just had to find that boy and get him to Karasu, and everything would be fine.

Hiei wanted to start searching for the boy and mend the rift as soon as possible. He just wasn't sure how to go about it. The boy had looked a bit like a fire demon with his ivory skin and red hair, and if he was a fire demon he was probably in North Alaric. But the hair had been an unusual shade of red—it had reminded Hiei of strawberries, actually—and it had been long and wavy rather than short and gravity-defying. Hiei had never seen a fire demon with such green eyes, either. If the boy wasn't a fire demon, what was he? More importantly, where could Hiei find him?

"I had no idea you were so enthralled by Edengo poems."

Hiei jerked back to reality and realized his tutor was looking down at him through the slits in his mask.

"A fine art, poetry," Kirin continued conversationally. "Do you have a favorite?"

Hiei blinked, barely glanced at the page he was on, and pointed at a random passage of scribbles. Kirin read for a moment.

"Ah. Quite a…unique poem," Kirin said, in a rather delicate voice.

That tone made Hiei wary, and he took the book back so he could actually read the poem. _Unique _wasn't quite the word Hiei would have used to describe it. It was a poem addressed by a woman to her lover. Hiei would have been uncomfortable as it was, but he had to stop reading when the woman started to describe hot and tender embraces and how (_yuck!_) her lover's seed warmed her inside even when cold rain poured down on her. Of all the things Hiei could have picked…

"It is a metaphor, of course," Kirin said eruditely. "The woman represents the earth, and the man is mankind. He labors in order to plant his seed in the woman's body, the soil. In her womb, the seed is protected from harm. It grows and finally bursts from her. The woman describes giving birth to a beautiful child, but if we're continuing the metaphor, the child is actually a plant."

Leave it to Kirin to make up a scholarly explanation for why there was porn in a classical poetry book. He would never admit that some people just wrote about sex without any symbolism in mind. Hiei sighed and closed the book, reaching out so he could set it on top of the nearest bookstack. He wondered if he flipped to the back of the book, took a quill in hand and scribbled in an indecent poem, if some royal tutor in the future would say his dirty poetry was written with something deep and profound in mind.

"Sire, is something troubling you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You seem distracted lately." Hiei sent Kirin a questioning look, and the tutor elaborated. "You left yesterday without telling anyone and almost missed the most important event of your life."

"I suppose being born doesn't count anymore?" Hiei asked dryly, but Kirin wasn't to be distracted.

"It was the prelude to your coronation," said the tutor pointedly. "Your first real encounter with the people who will one day be your allies…or your enemies. In a single night you can change the fate of an entire country, from peaceful to bloody. And instead of making sure you did everything right and made a good impression, you chose to run off and get drunk with Yusuke."

Hiei held back a cringe. Kirin must have gotten hold of Yusuke and gotten the full story from him.

"I didn't set out with that in mind," Hiei defended himself. "Yusuke talked me into it."

"That is rather my point, sire. Why did you let him?" Hiei was silent for a moment. He wasn't sure why he had done it. He had left the palace because he had wanted to get away from it all, from the pressure of rules and responsibilities. He had thought being alone and enjoying the festival would free him of that, but then Yusuke had shown up…and he had liked the festival even better when he spent it with his best (and only) friend. "Perhaps you are starting to feel the fire in your blood a bit more?"

Hiei jolted.

"No!" he yelled, his face flooding with color.

"You needn't be embarrassed," Kirin said calmly. The eyes behind his mask were measuring Hiei, gauging his reaction. "You certainly are old enough to be giving the matter some thought. Actually, Her Majesty has been growing rather concerned that you seem to have no interest in the subject…"

"I don't," Hiei said vehemently. He got more than enough of this you-need-to-get-laid rubbish from Yusuke, he didn't need it from his tutor as well. "I have no interest whatsoever."

"None, sire?"

"_None_."

This seemed to disappoint Kirin. "Ah. Well, all right. If you insist."

Kirin bowed briefly and started to walk away. But he paused just as he reached the door.

"It's just that…" He looked back at Hiei. "If you really had no interest in the matter, you would never have opened that book in the first place."

_I wasn't actually reading it, it was the last thing on my mind, I was thinking about how to make peace with Karasu and that boy I have to find to do it, so stop acting like I've suddenly admitted that I want any part in this shit! _Hiei opened his mouth to say all of these things, but Kirin left before he could make a sound.

For a long moment Hiei stared at the closed door, deeply annoyed that Kirin had gotten the last word. Then he turned an accusing scowl on _Shiori no Koika_, as if the wretched book had known all along that it would be the instrument of his humiliation. _I loathe poetry,_ he thought.

* * *

1. _Shiori no Koika_: The Love Poems of Shiori. One meaning of the name Shiori is _poem weaver_, so I really wanted her to be a poet. This worked out pretty well for me, because I've always thought that Hiei would need to study romance from multiple angles before he could be comfortable with it. He's gotten part of it from Yusuke and his experiences in the bar with Ruka, and he's observing it in Koenma and Botan too. But since those are both examples of young love, flirting and infatuation, he really ought to get an older person's perspective as well. So he gets to read Shiori's love poems. :P


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